Measurement of the Velocity of Ultrasound in Human Cortical Bone and Its Potential Clinical ImportanceAn In Vivo Preliminary Study

摘要

The velocity of ultrasound in human cortical bone has been measured in vivo by a pulse echo technique. The velocity is reduced in a small group of older females, compared with a small group of young males. It is suggested that this change results from a proportionately greater decrease in the elastic constant of the bone, compared with its density. This method measures a new combination of physical properties of bone, which may have important clinical significance in the assessment of the diagnosis and course of osteoporosis.